Darren Burke, Digital Reporter

This is the shocking moment a chimp is seen SMOKING during a tea break at a Sheffield factory in the 1950s.

The rarely seen archive clip from more than half a century ago will stun modern day animal lovers and shows a chimpanzee, known as Max, dressed in overalls, working and driving around Sheffield city centre as a driver's mate.

WATCH THE FOOTAGE HERE: Warning - some people may find the clip demeaning to animals

And the footage also shows Max happily puffing away on a cigarette and swigging from a mug during a break from lifting boxes from the back of a lorry in the British Pathe clip.

The four minute black and white footage, which is understood to have never aired at the time, is part of the news organisation's massive archive and issues viewers with a warning, stating: "This item could be seen as demeaning to animals."

Entitled "Max The Chimp, Driver's Mate 1955," the clip begins with the chimp, dressed in shirt, overalls and shoes, shown moving boxes around in the back of a lorry before lugging some of them into a factory as a helping hand to his driver.

The silent video then cuts to the pair having a tea break and Max is shown swigging a unknown drink from a mug, wolfing down a sandwich and then, incredibly, smoking a cigarette.

His human colleague is seen striking up a match to light the cigarette placed between the chimp's lips before Max is seen dragging on the ciggie and puffing smoke out of his mouth.

The pair are then seen in a lorry which has the name of Sheffield crisp manufacturer Rey's Crisps, which was based in Effingham Road, on the cab door.

Max is seen sitting in the passenger seat, swinging on the door and being admired by a group of women before the lorry is shown driving through Sheffield - with the chimp sitting proudly alongside the human driver and looking out of the open window at passers by.

It is not clear exactly where and when the footage was shot or for what reason - or why it was never shown.